Is access to your website mandatory?

[Jeff Smock]

I am not clear on the extent to which the local AxCrypt executable is tied to your website. In a theoretical scenario where for some reason your website is gone permanently, am I still able to install the Axcrypt program and decrypt files previously encrypted with Axcrypt? Thanks

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello,

Thank you for asking!

Right now, web server access is mandatory the *first* time you install AxCrypt on a PC. Thereafter there is no need for Internet access, although we’ll use it if available to perform update checks and similar.

We’ll be adding some form of ‘escrow’ mode very soon for the specific scenario you describe. For now, you can always be assured by the fact that the full source code is available so if we should suddenly and unexpectedly fold, the source code is available via mechanisms that have no connection to us.

There is nothing really vital on the server as far as AxCrypt file encryption is concerned. We do create and backup key pairs there, but they are for convenience – it’s not required for file decryption. In the end, all that’s needed is AxCrypt and to know the password used when the most recent encryption occurred .

[Jeff Smock]

Thanks for the quick response. I hope you do add the “escrow” mode, this is a show-stopper for me.

[SvanteSpectator]

I hear you… It’s on the agenda. So much to do, and so little time!

[Heiko]

In that case the software in version 2 is completely useless for me.

We have several people we send data to but they don’t have Internet on their machines for security reasons.
We also don’t have Internet on the relevant machines – they even don’t have network cards !

So it is not possible to connect – even once to your servers.

We rolled back to 1.7 on all clients. :-(

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Heiko,

Thanks for the feedback. Right now, one-time connection to the Internet is mandatory unfortunately. We’re planning to make it possible to run without Internet, but we don’t have that quite yet.

We totally get that the situation exists, it’s just very unusual, and we’re also considering various ways to do this in a way that’s not too difficult for the user.

Svante

[Duke of Zurich]

Used AxCrypt for many years now, perfectly suited my needs.

The new requirements (internet-connection / email adress / account) is a no-go for me, sadly I now need to look for an alternative. Nevertheless, many thanks for an excellent piece of software that served me well.

Bye

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello “Duke of Zürich” ;-)

I’m glad you liked the old AxCrypt, and of course a bit sad you have issues with the new one.

Just to be sure – you do realize that the Internet-connection requirement is a one-time-only requirement? It’s not required for day-to-day use. All encryption/decryption is still done locally without server interaction. It’s still open source, so you can verify this.

Since nothing is set in stone, I’d really appreciate if you could elaborate on why you find it unacceptable to have an account with a working e-mail?

Anyway, regards and thanks for the input!

[Carl Wales]

I used and love the old version –got a new computer and downloaded and successfully installed ver. 2 xx and hate it– EVERY time I run it it asks for an email and password and will NOT accept the one I used successfully the time before.  So I am stuck –I can’t use it anymore as I have run out of email addresses to use.

 

 

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Carl,

There seems to be something wrong here… Of course you should not be asked for a new email every time. Can you send a screen shot of the situation?

Svante

[Gene Rampale]

I have to agree, not comfortable with the new process. I would rather you have a pay version that works like the old version, no Internet connection, everything local.

I know the thing that worries me is what is going on that I am required to have a login and have a connection made on every machine I install this version on. You stated the keys are backed up on your website. The keys and my computers GUIDs are stored there also. I would rather lose the keys and access to the files. It has happened before when I forgot the key, it will happen again. Better to lose the files than expose more details about my computers.

Hopefully you will be able to make that work. Lost TrueCrypt, hate to lose AxCrypt as an encryption product also.

For now I am rolling back to whatever version I have on my other computer. I also had an issue with it not accepting my email address.

New version looks interesting, but I will pass on it.

Thank you for your time and effort on this software.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Gene,

There seems to be some misunderstandings here.

What we’re storing is an encrypted copy of your sharing key. This is not the same as your password. It is another piece of data, encrypted with your password using AxCrypt. The whole point of AxCrypt is that files encrypted with AxCrypt should be able to be public. While we have no intention of making your encrypted secret sharing key public, the point is that even it that should happen it should not compromise your data. Since for that to be an issue, someone must have access to one of your encrypted files, so getting another won’t help.

I do not understand what you refer to when you say: “The keys and my computers GUIDs are stored there also“. We do not store anything like that.

No login or Internet connection is required either, if you don’t enable Internet access or can’t or won’t reach our servers AxCrypt will still work fine. The sharing functionality won’t work fully as well as some other Premium functions, but you’ll always be able to open, work with and encrypt files.

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